Fourth Test, day five (close): England 352-4 and 330 draw with India 326-9d

It was one magnificent achievement by Alastair Cook and his men to win the Test series in India 2-1, after comfortably drawing the fourth and final Test in Nagpur.

It was only England’s fourth Test series in India since 1985 but even so, winning it will rank as an historic feat. In the minds of Cook’s players, winning in India was ‘the final frontier’ and they conquered it.

Most critics would rate it alongside England’s 3-1 Ashes victory in Australia two winters ago. Some might rate it more highly still, but allowances have to be made for India’s less than plentiful bowling resources.

England will now end this calendar year in second position in the world Test rankings. Not so good as a year ago, but Cook’s players have made ample amends for England’s defeat by Pakistan in the UAE in the spring and by South Africa in the summer.

In his first series as official captain Cook led the way by standing tall amid the rubble in Ahmedabad, where England’s batsmen were yet again overwhelmed by spin, and he scored a century in each of the first three Tests. He had no close rival for man of the series, with his 562 runs at an average of 80.

‘It’s a very special day for us,’ Cook said. ‘It’s been a fantastic effort. We have played on four very different wickets but the way we’ve adjusted has been brilliant.’

The other England players rose up one by one to follow their leader. In Ahmedabad it was Matt Prior. In the second Test in Mumbai it was Kevin Pietersen, who made his most inspired Test century (186) and England’s two spinners, Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, who helped Cook to level the series 1-1.

James Anderson came good in the third Test in Kolkata and was the most effective pace bowler on either side. Jonathan Trott found his feet too, while Nick Compton chipped in with useful scores as opener throughout.

And it was Trott who elminated any Indian ambitions of squaring this series by making his eighth Test century. Trott came in on the fourth afternoon when Cook had tensed up in sight of victory, and banished all nerves and jittery thoughts.

To win, India by lunch on day five had to take the seven England wickets that remained overnight. That would have left a target of around 240 at four runs an over on a sluggish pitch and slow outfield: very steep if theoretically feasible.

But Trott and his Warwickshire teammate Ian Bell survived the second new ball that was taken first thing – India’s only pace bowler Ishant Sharma wanted no more than three overs with it – and batted through the morning unscathed.

As the home side grew ever more listless in the afternoon heat, Trott helped himself until caught at slip and Bell to a century that was highly meritorious in its first half, if hardly so in its second.

Apart from Cook, and an inspired Pietersen in Mumbai, England’s main advantage lay in their bowling. Anderson, man of the match in Nagpur, took as many wickets as all the Indian pace bowlers put together, while Swann outbowled Ravi Ashwin – who vastly improved his batting as some compensation - and Panesar outbowled the slower and flightier Pragyan Ojha.

If a composite eleven had to be made from the two sides, for a Test match in India starting this week, it might be: Cook, Sehwag, Trott, Pietersen, Pujara, Ashwin, Prior, Swann, Anderson, Panesar, and whichever out of Steve Finn or Umesh Yadav was fit.

There is no time however for a Test this week, even if anyone had the inclination, because England meet India in two Twenty20 internationals before flying home for Christmas.